The present invention relates to methods for preparing a dough and/or baked product with a xyloglucan endotrans-glycosylase.
The strength of a dough is an important aspect of baking for both small-scale and large-scale applications. A strong dough has a greater tolerance of mixing time, proofing time, and mechanical vibrations during dough transport, whereas a weak dough is less tolerant to these treatments. A strong dough with superior rheological and handling properties results from flour containing a strong gluten network. Flour with a low protein content or a poor gluten quality results in a weak dough.
Dough xe2x80x9cconditionersxe2x80x9d are well known in the baking industry. The addition of conditioners to bread dough has resulted in improved machinability of the dough and improved texture, volume, flavour and freshness (increased resistance to staling) of the bread. Nonspecific oxidants, such as iodates, peroxides, ascorbic acid, potassium bromate and azodicarbonamide have a gluten strengthening effect. It has been suggested that these conditioners induce the formation of interprotein bonds which strengthen the gluten, and thereby the dough. However, the use of several of the currently available chemical oxidizing agents has been met with consumer resistance or is not permitted by regulatory agencies.
The use of enzymes as dough conditioners has been considered as an alternative to the chemical conditioners. A number of enzymes have been used recently as dough and/or bread improving agents, in particular, enzymes which act on components present in large amounts in the dough. Examples of such enzymes are found within the groups of amylases, proteases, glucose oxidases, and (hemi)cellulases, including pentosanases.
Xyloglucan endotransglycosylase (XET) is an enzyme which catalyses an endo-transglycosylation of xyloglucan, a structural polysaccharide of plant cell walls. The enzyme is believed to be present in all plants, and in particular, land plants. XET has been extracted from dicotyledons, monocotyledons, such as graminaceous monocotyledons and liliaceous monocotyledons, and also from a moss and a liverwort (Fry, S., et al., 1992. Biochem. J. 282: 821-828).
XET may be obtained from a plant as described in WO 95/13384, WO 97/23683, or EP 562 836, or it may be obtained as described by Fry, et al., op cit.
It is the object of the present invention to improve the properties of dough and/or baked products by the use of an XET.
The present invention relates to methods for preparing a dough and a baked product made from dough, respectively, comprising incorporating into the dough an effective amount of a xyloglucan endotransglycosylase (XET).
The present invention also relates to methods for preparing a baked product.
The present invention also relates to compositions comprising an effective amount of one or more XETs, for improving one or more properties of a dough and/or a baked product obtained from the dough, and a carrier and/or a baking ingredient.
The present invention also relates to doughs and to baked products, respectively.
The present invention further relates to pre-mixes for a dough comprising an effective amount of an XET for improving one or more properties of a dough and/or a baked product obtained from the dough, and a carrier and/or a baking ingredient.